Got up early this morning and drove back to the hospital.
It’s been a busy day. I started with a bone marrow test, got my bandages changed and tubes cleaned. Then I had a dentist appointment as a precaution for the coming transplant – they decided to pull a tooth that had been root filled- apparently it was a tough pull- so now I am in a lot of pain. We are rounding the day off with round of chemotherapy. Not an ideal day, but we are on our way.
On our way toward what, I’m not sure. Even after this round of chemo the transplant may still be a few weeks away. So I don’t know how long I am stuck here. Really, I don’t know anything. I thought I knew the plan but I guess I was mistaken. Hopefully we’ll know a little (or a lot) more next week when we meet with the transplant team. I’ll let you know.
It sure was nice being home for Christmas. That was such an unexpected blessing. I felt good and life was in slow motion – I got to spend time all three kids. Hannah, Jakob and Sarah all took time to sit with me, talk with me, go out with me and just be with me. What a blessing.
I’m sorry that Christmas is over and that I have to be in here again, but at least we are moving toward getting home permanently.
No news today. I’m still relaxing with my family, just being home, eating my way through Christmas. But I was (with my lovely wife May) reflecting on something.
At the University hospital they’ve invested a lot in “art”. Mostly what I’d call institution art. There are a few nice pieces scattered throughout the hospital but mostly its just lithographs of varying quality and color covering the walls and halls, but none in the sterile white rooms where the patients stay. I have an eye for art, and institution art does not catch it. I might go so far as to call it decoration instead of art. But I’m not here to ponder the philosophy of art.
Then they decorated the hospital for Christmas, which was very nice. Lots of lights and trees and decorations.
This is just to say that they have gone to great lengths to try to brighten up the place. But for us the nicest thing to see in the whole hospital is the empty baby carts left by the exit doors. They represent life and hope for the future. Someone going home, a family growing. A little brother or sister in a big family or a member of a new family of two. They are going home for their first Christmas and hopefully many of them will never have to go back to a hospital. Yet, I know that some of them might spend the better part of their lives in health care. But for right now they are home with their families, where they belong. That sight and that thought inspire more hope and emotion in me than all the rest of the art at Rikshospital.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
When they sent me home fourteen days ago the doctors figured I might be home for a few days before I got a fever and would have to go back into the hospital. That was then…
Today marks fourteen days since I came home. I never got the fever. My blood values continue to rise and the bone marrow test I took yesterday still shows no sign of the cancer having come back yet. This is amazing. (We know that without the transplant my bone marrow will eventually produce cancer cells again, but it is amazing that it has goen 3 weeks without it coming back.)
This means that instead of three rounds of chemotherapy, I will only need two. The next one is the one they give before the transplant.
I get to spend Christmas at home with my family. Thank God!
I go back into the hospital next week and start the process for the bone marrow transplantation. So hopefully I will be back home and recovering properly by mid-February.
This is an incredible answer to our prayers (all of us) Thank you all so much for praying and wishing me well. And thank you God for answering them and keeping me healthy enough to do this.
All I have to report is that there isn’t much to report.
After two check ups I’m still healthy(ish) and still at home.
I get to stay home over the weekend and go back in over the weekend for another round of tests.
I’m not really sure what’s going on, I’m just along for the ride and do what I’m told.
Finally, after a week of waiting, my white blood cells arrived. Just in time for Christmas!
Apparently white blood cells – and specifically something a call Neutrophils – are the key to my immune system (and probably your’s as well) – So the fact that they are finally kicking in and being produced again is a good sign and greatly increase my chances of staying home until its time to go back in and kill them all over again.
That’s today’s good news.
Otherwise my days at home are largely spent lounging and relaxing. All things considered, life is pretty good.
Yepp, still no sign of life on the white cells. But any day now.
I started shedding like a golden retriever yesterday so I shaved my head. I gave myself some silly haircuts along the way- I noticed that I look just as cool or silly with those cuts now as I did in high school. Its cold being bald, especially in winter – but hopefully in a about 6 months my bald head will be a distant memory.
Bald heads and white blood cells are only secondary right now (well, the white cells are actually really important). But they let me come home for a few days. So as I write this little entry I am sitting at home looking at my Christmas tree next to my wife who is sound asleep on the sofa. That beats sterile hospital room any day.
I don’t know how long I’ll be home for but if everything goes well it should be for a week or more. Stop by if you’ve got a few minutes. I’ll be here.
It was date night at the hospital tonight.
May came in and I took her out to the convenient store / gift shop for a hotdog.
As we sat at the table eating and chatting away we watched the Christmas light flicker and the people strolling by. Back and forth, back and forth. Some people were celebrating their exam, some people were visiting loved ones and other were being admitted for the first time.
It was a swarm of people covering every stroke of the human condition.
May pointed out that in the big picture this cancer diagnosis is just a blip.
As people with serious conditions, terminal illnesses and life-long afflictions walked by, I knew she was right. In a few months all this will be behind me and I will be off on new adventures. That is not the case for a lot of people. While my story isn’t as happy as the new parents pushing their newborn in the trolly, it isn’t anything to mourn over either. I’ve got this and God’s got me.
So it’s all good news today.
I took a bone marrow test this morning to see if the chemo had done its job and IT HAS! I am, for the moment, cancer free, and there is a glimmer of what the future holds.
I can go home for a little while once my immune system kicks back in (which should happen in the next few days).
This will be followed by a smaller chemo round to make sure that everything that is dead stays dead – until I can get a stem cell/bone marrow transplant sometime after Christmas.
That was my progress.
In other news… My wonderful wife set in motion a project to assemble an advent calendar for me. She contacted friends, family and co-workers (who are also friends) and the result was overwhelming. So many people have responded and given to bless me.
Thank you all. I’ve only opened two gifts so far so I haven’t seen everything yet but I will get there by Christmas Eve. You are all appreciated and I am thank for each of you. Thanks again.
I often write about how blessed I am and how good God is to me and how glad I am that He loves me.
But I guess I should also tell you that Jesus Loves you too.
Even if you don’t believe in Him, or if you’re mad at Him.
If you’ve never thought about Him or haven’t thought about Him since you were a kid.
Jesus Loves You – just as you are, right where you are.
Warts and all.
He Loves you and would love to get to know. Think about it. If you have any questions or want to talk feel free to reach out.
